(Newser)
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President Obama has no shortage of things to discuss with Hu Jintao, who arrived in Washington yesterday—starting with the fate of Liu Xiaobo. Chinese human rights advocates urged Obama to “publicly and privately” press for Liu’s release, according to the Guardian, and that call was echoed by House Human Rights Committee Chairman Chris Smith, who told Reuters it would be “almost unthinkable” that a Nobel laureate like Obama to meet with “a political leader responsible for jailing another laureate” and not demand his release.

Of course, Obama will also have a variety of economic issues to discuss, which have become thornier than ever, the New York Timesobserves. This time, Obama won’t just be discussing China’s cheap currency, he’ll be addressing complaints from US companies that they’re being locked out of the Chinese market by policies favorable to domestic Chinese businesses. Hu, meanwhile, wants to make nice, reports the Times. He's seen as a lame duck who "wants to go out with the country’s most important bilateral relationship intact,” says one diplomat.

If Obama/Clinton say too much about China's Human Rights abuses he will have to answer for our response to Wikileaks, the solitary confinement without charges of Pvt. Bradley Manning, Guantanamo and the continuing Special Renditions. I wish every country respected the rights of every citizen but we have lost our high moral ground on this subject.

kokuaguy

Jan 19, 2011 12:38 PM CST

The US is already on the record regarding the shameful imprisonment of Liu Xiao, and our POTUS has made his position very clear. Publicly embarrassing China's President now could undercut his ability to work behind the scenes when he returns home. The military calls the shots for most purposes in China, in the final analysis.